Tag: singapore

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Better scores now needed for NUS arts faculty

this is from an article published by Straits Times…

“Remember the days when one B and two Cs would get a student into the arts and social sciences faculty of the National University of Singapore?

Not any more.

This year, A-level holders needed at least an A and two Bs, despite the faculty taking in the largest number of students at the university – 1,700 in all.

Two years ago, the minimum grade needed was three Bs.”

– See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/better-scores-now-needed-nus-arts-faculty-20141125#sthash.zw8nv1jr.dpuf

Time are a changing

As expected, the shifts in education in a competitive Singapore are turning its wheels and grinding its gears. There’s no stone left untouched and in time to come, grades needed to enter NUS will only climb higher and its 22nd TOP UNIVERSITY TOP RANKINGS don’t help the matter much. We are an open education system and we have international students vying seats together with our students, and most people will think this is a bad thing but its more of fear that their children does not get a seat. However, this is not true as an open education system allows healthy interaction with the top students around the world, something Singapore needs to achieve a successful international trade programme.

So what does that mean to Singaporean Students?

As we climb higher up the world rankings, our education system becomes more attractive to foreigners and in our open education system, it attracts the best students and we in turn, will interact with the best in the world. That is a good thing. Competition creates excellence. And to vie for a seat in NUS will mean the cream of the crop of Singapore will be competing with the cream of the crop of the world. And that is our bread and butter. We survive because we have to be the best. To be the best, we need to compete with the best. Having a 22nd world ranking university, Singapore’s education system is at a better place right now than the last century and our students will enjoy all this excellent education infrastructure.

Top Education at our doorstep.

Just 20-30 years ago, we had to fly overseas to go to a properly good university with a properly good world ranking. We don’t need to anymore with NUS ranked at 22 at our backyard. I forgot to mention, NTU is at a not so far 39th for 2014.

That is an achievement that we should be proud of. I can only imagine the brains, the work and the funds needed to build two World Top50 University in Singapore. So this brings us to what is next? For a country where our natural resource is human resource, education and training lies high up the ladder for our future survival. But I foresee ourselves in safe hands with world class universities as part of our portfolio, but only if we have the system to create and nurture world class students to be able to qualify for these universities that we will reap the rewards, or else all those seats will be snapped up by the best of the rest of the world. Hardwork, proper training, and determination to be the best shall be dogma.

Sonnet 123 No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change

No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change:
Thy pyramids built up with newer might
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;
They are but dressings of a former sight.
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,
And rather make them born to our desire
Than think that we before have heard them told.
Thy registers and thee I both defy,
Not wondering at the present nor the past,
For thy records and what we see doth lie,
Made more or less by thy continual haste.
This I do vow and this shall ever be;
I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.

-Shakespeare

by Wong Kin Leong, eduKate

Tuition Tampines

Tuition Punggol

 

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Singapore Studies and Education Statistics 2014

Here’s some perspective of our education in Singapore. All data obtained from http://www.singstat.gov.sg

Singapore literacy rate (for 15 years and above) is at 96.5% with males at 98.5% and females at 94.6%. However, there is no change for males literacy from previous years but females upped 0.2% from 94.4% previously.

Singaporeans with Secondary education or higher (for 25 years and above) has increased from 67.7% to 68.8% with males 71.8% and females 66%.

Our mean years of studying are 10.5 years with males at 11.0 years and females at 10.0 years.

Also interesting, our social indicators have improved with 20 doctors for every 10,000 population as compared to 19 doctors from the previous data.

by Wong Kin Leong eduKateSG

Pinevale Tampines

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Top 10 Things to do for the school holidays Nov-Dec

10) Botanical Gardens Orchid Gardens Students Special

Singapore Botanical Gardens organizes a programme for students, a holiday special with Orchids as their main theme.

extract from their website:

Description:

Did you know that orchids are one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants in the world?

From 8 to 23 November 2014, we are extending free admission to National Orchid Garden to students and accompanying adults.

Opening hours: 8.30am to 7.00pm daily (last admission is at 6.00pm).

Free admission criteria
1. Children 12 years old and below
2. Students are required to present valid student cards
3. Adults accompanying children and/or students

9) Marina Bay Sands Skypark Observation Deck

See Singapore from another point of view, its all about perspective. Your kids will love the views from the top of Singapore’s famous landmark.

extract from their website:

Please check for Sands SkyPark closures before your visit.

Prices:

S$23 for adults

S$17 for children (aged between 2 – 12 years*)

S$20 for senior citizens (aged 65 years and above)

Children under 2 years may enter for free.

  • Tickets can be purchased for a specific date up to one month in advance.
  • Same-day admission tickets can only be purchased at Marina Bay Sands Box Offices.
  • Please note that a condition of sale is there are no exchanges or refunds once the purchase has been made.

Where to buy:

Marina Bay Sands website

Ticketing Hotline: +65 6688 8826

Marina Bay Sands Box Offices

  • ArtScience Museum Lobby
  • Concierge Desk, Hotel Lobby Tower 1
  • Retail Concierge, The Shoppes L1
  • SkyPark Ticketing Counter, Tower 3 B1
  • Theatres, The Shoppes B1

for the visit
4. Not applicable to tour groups and tickets purchased in advance

8) Chinatown Heritage Centre

This is a fairly hidden gem in Singapore’s local highlights but its a truly brilliant gem indeed. Three shophouses at Pagoda Street recreates our Singapore history in complete historical settings. How our forefathers lived and eat is faithfully recreated in this beautiful building. Your kids will learn how Singapore started and its rich cultural history, and there’s even a kopitiam in the building when you get hungry or thirsty.

7) Haji Lane

Food? Check. Culture? Check. Shopping? Check. Art? Check. Haji Lane is a smörgåsbord of all things new and old, chic and traditional, young and elderly. It is the cross junction of our past, present and future. There’s lots of things to do for everyone and with Orchard and Marina Bay area a stone’s throw away, Haji Lane has established itself as a fringe community with a strong-willed resolve to show the world that there’s more to do in Singapore than eating, banking, shopping, shipping, flying and going to the movies. Walk into its varied food joints to taste local food, or run into its many beautiful arty cafe’s. Or just walk around and soak in the art installations by the side of the buildings. Shopping is a good idea too, with plenty to offer along the shophouses.

6) Dempsey Hill

My army camp was located here before it revamped itself into Dempsey Hill, the placed to go when you want to get away from the city and cosy up to some beautiful restaurants and shops. Its old world charm redefined for the present. My favourite cafe there will definitely be” jones the grocer”. And its not even exactly a cafe as they sell grocery and speciality food items.

To be Continued… wait for the next installment where we reveal the top 5. Hang in there.

by Wong Kin Leong

edukateSG

Pinevale, Tampines St 73

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School Terms and Holidays 2015

Herein lies important dates for Singapore schools and our operating schedules for 2015. Parents take note that eduKate SG operates on all days except public holidays stated in SECTION 3.2 

(all information are subject to changes from MOE and is only intended to be used as a rough guideline. dated 4th Nov 2014)

extract from MOE website:

School Terms and Holidays For 2015

1.0) The school year for 2015 for all MOE primary and secondary schools will start from Friday, 2 January and end on Friday, 20 November 2015. This takes into account 40 weeks of curriculum time for teaching and learning before the start of the national examinations, and six weeks of school vacation at end of year for teachers and students.

1.1) School Calendar 2015

PRIMARY & SECONDARY
Semester I
Term I Fri 2 Jan – Fri 13 Mar
Term II Mon 23 Mar to Fri 29 May
Semester II
Term III Mon 29 Jun to Fri 4 Sep
Term IV Mon 14 Sep to Fri 20 Nov
JUNIOR COLLEGE (JC) Year 1 & Millennia Institute (MI) Year 1 MI Year 2 JC Year 2 & MI Year 3
Semester I
Term I Mon 2 Feb – Fri 13 Mar Mon 5 Jan – Fri 13 Mar
Term II Mon 23 Mar to Fri 29 May
Semester II
Term III Mon 29 Jun to Fri 4 Sep
Term IV Mon 14 Sep to Fri 20 Nov Mon 14 Sep to end of ‘A’-level exams

1.2) School Vacation 2015

2.0) The four vacation periods for schools, junior colleges and centralised institute for 2015 will be as follows:

PRI & SEC
Between Terms I & II Sat 14 Mar – Sun 22 Mar
Between Semesters I & II Sat 30 May – Sun 28 Jun
Between Terms III & IV Sat 5 Sep – Sun 13 Sep
At End of School Year Sat 21 Nov – Thu 31 Dec
JC Year 1,
MI Year 1 & MI Year 2		 JC Year 2 &
MI Year 3
Between Terms I & II Sat 14 Mar – Sun 22 Mar
Between Semesters I & II Sat 30 May – Sun 28 Jun
Between Terms III & IV Sat 5 Sep – Sun 13 Sep
At End of School Year Sat 21 Nov – Thu 31 Dec End of ‘A’ Level exams – Thu 31 Dec

 

3.0) The scheduled school holidays and public holidays for 2015 will be as follows:

3.1) Scheduled School Holidays 2015

Youth Day Sun 5 Jul
(The following Monday, 6 Jul 2015 will be a scheduled school holiday)
Teachers’ Day Fri 4 Sept
Children’s Day
for primary schools and primary sections of full schools only)		 Fri 9 Oct

3.2) Public Holidays 2015

Term I New Year’s Day Thu 1 Jan
Chinese New Year Thu 19 Feb
Fri 20 Feb
Term II Good Friday Fri 3 Apr
Labour Day Fri 1 May
Vesak Day Mon 1 Jun
Term III Hari Raya Puasa Fri 17 Jul
National Day *Sun 9 Aug
Term IV Hari Raya Haji Thu 24 Sep
Deepavali **Tue 10 Nov
Christmas Day Fri 25 Dec
*The next day, Mon 10 Aug 2015, will be a public holiday.
**Tentatively, Deepavali will fall on 10 November in 2015. This date will need to be reconfirmed against the Hindu Almanac when it is available. Should there be a change in date, the Ministry of Manpower will issue a media release to announce the change accordingly.

 

4) The school terms and holidays for 2015 is available on the MOE’s website atwww.moe.gov.sg/schools/terms-and-holidays/2015/

 

prepared by Wong Kin Leong

edukate SG

Tampines St 73

Singapore

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Idioms and Phrases in the 21st Century

Modernise your writing with new phrases or idioms.

Time shifts language and adopts new words/phrases. As we continue into the 21st Century, usage of idioms have changed significantly in our society and time dictates certain idioms/phrases to be out of date and some that becomes fashionable.

Here’s a few fun ones:

  • take things easy
  • suck it up
  • keep in touch
  • speak of the devil
  • slip past
  • send me up the wall
  • you got me
  • hit it off
  • mixed up in
  • in summary

These phrases are definitely useful and fashionable right now, and gives a contemporary and modern feel to your writing. If your composition is written in a modern setting, keep the words trendy and fresh.

Or it depends on the characters that you use in your composition. When the person is older, he/she can take on an older vocabulary/phrase/idiom. But when the character is younger, then keep it trendy, like “Whoa! Nellie”.

So keep that in mind when you write your next composition. Certain phrases might sound archaic and eventhough it is contextually correct, it just gives a slightly musty feel to your writing, dusty covers and all.

Punggol English and Math Tuition Small Group Tutor
English Tuition with Yuet Ling doing Cloze Passages.

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